Abstract: This collection consists of one journal written in French and English by Fernando Dutilleul to his mother. It contains an
essay on the history of the San Diego Mission and numerous drawings of the plant and bird life of Mission Valley, California.

Language of Materials: Collection materials are in English and French.

creator:
Dutilleul, Fernando

Biographical / Historical Notes

In 1912, Fernando Dutilleul walked through Mission Valley, California. He made sketches of local plant and bird life and wrote
down notes on their environment. He supplemented his walks with research at the public library, and wrote and illustrated
an essay on the history and discovery of the San Diego Mission. He was particularly interested in the daily life of the mission
and the relationship between the missionaries and their “Indian converts.”

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

All pages are detached from binding. Pages are very thin, and ink is fading to brown. Fold-out map on inside front cover is
cracked along the fold crease. (August 1, 2012)

Processing Information

Collection processed by Samantha Mills on August 1, 2012.

Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous
funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.

This collection consists of one journal written by Fernando Dutilleul to his mother. The journal has four distinct sections.
The first section contains an introductory note to Fernando’s mother and the essay titled “Histoire – Decouverte,” both of
which are in French. This section has three full page illustrations plus assorted smaller sketches in the margins of the essay.
The second section is titled “Flora de la Vallée.” There is an introduction in French, followed by 25 full-page, colored sketches
of local flowering plants. Most sketches are accompanied by notes on their formal name, their local name, and a physical description
of the plant. The notes are almost entirely in French, though a few have phrases in English. The third section is titled “Les
Oiseaux de la Vallée.” This section consists of four full-page sketches of birds. Only the first sketch is colored and noted
with the name of the bird. The final section of the journal is a separate booklet tucked in at the end. This booklet contains
an English translation of the introductory note to Fernando’s mother and the essay “History – Discovery.” There are several
discrepancies between the French and English essays, including full sentences only in the French version or only in the English
version. The English essay is the only section of the journal with page numbers. Finally, the journal contains a hand-drawn
map of Mission Valley, pasted inside the front cover, and two photographs of Fernando Dutilleul in the valley.